Dawn to Dusk
by C.M.Weaver
Summary: Slowly she crept up behind him, careful to avoid anything that would give away her position. Quickly she drew her gun and pressed it into the man's broad back "I'm giving you two seconds to drop your weapon and put your hands on your head." She cocked the gun to demonstrate how serious she was. "Who are you, and what in the hell do you think you're doing pointing a weapon at my sis
1. Spaghettio's and Unfriendly Encounters

**I do not own The Walking Dead in all of its forms, any of the creators original characters, or story lines/plots. This story has been floating around in my head for the better part of a year and I'm just now starting to put pen to paper. Critiques, questions, and suggestions welcome.**

 **-C.M. Weaver**

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Caite hated leaving her sisters alone in this new world but one can of baked beans and a bag of stale croutons wasn't going to last them much longer. Stepping through the door of an abandoned convenience store she did a quick survey of her surroundings, being an appetizer for the undead was not on her to do list anytime soon. Their flashlight had run out of juice about three days ago so walking further in to the store was unsettling. Monsters were real now and every shadow was a hungry shell of what used to be.

She wondered how it got to this. At 23 she shouldn't be worrying about whether her sisters would have food or if they would be able to survive through the night and if her youngest sister would even remember the mother that sacrificed herself to the hordes to save them. She should be focusing on her dissertation and creating lesson plans for her student teaching not teaching herself how to use a gun and how to live off of food scraps. Rounding the aisle Caite tried to hold in a scream but it was too late. Clouded eyes met green and a toothy grin spread over the beast's rotting face. Fight or flight kicked in and adrenalin flooded her veins. The girl she used to be screamed for her to run, and if she only had herself to worry about she would have, but there were two hungry girls depending on her and this zombie stood between her and six cans of Spaghettio's.

It staggered towards her and she could smell the putrid rot of its body, slowly she reached for the knife clipped at her waist this one was more lethargic than the others and not worth a bullet. Spreading her feet shoulder width apart she waited. When it got close enough she struck and just missed the brain, falling into one of the shelves and onto the ground with the zombie. The beast went for her neck and Caite scrabbled to get her knife and came up with a can instead. Breathing heavily, she bashed the things head with the can until she saw brain.

She scooted along the floor until her back hit a near empty shelf. "Fucking shit!" she wished she had been more committed to going to the gym, but hindsight is 20/20. Slowly releasing a breath Caite rose to gather her weapons and put the canned food in her backpack. Six cans would last them a few days if she rationed it properly. As she reached for the last can of Spaghettio's her fingertips brushed something plastic…an unopened bag of beef jerky! Caite did a small happy dance and threw the beef jerky into her bag as well. She contemplated the convenience store from her pillaging spot but decided she'd left her 15-year-old sister in charge for long enough. It was time to hightail it back to her sisters.

She began the twenty-minute walk back into the woods to their campsite. After her old Malibu had lost its last fume of gas they had taken to the woods rather than the graveyard of vehicles on the highway. Caite, Lacey, and Sam had been on their own for a couple months now. Caite had found a clearing near a small river and for now that was 'home sweet home'. It wasn't much but they were cleaner than they'd been in weeks. She was about five minutes away when she heard a familiar scream and she tore through the underbrush. She stopped short of the tree line when she saw the back of a man. He was facing Lace and Sam was clutched behind her holding the doll they had found yesterday. "I'm not goin' to ask again girl, where'd ya get the doll?" Caite ground her teeth together as she realized he was holding a weapon that was just out of her view.

Slowly she crept up behind him, careful to avoid anything that would give away her position. Quickly she drew her gun and pressed it into the man's broad back "I'm giving you two seconds to drop your weapon and put your hands on your head." She cocked the gun to demonstrate how serious she was. "Who are you, and what in the hell do you think you're doing pointing a weapon at my sisters?"

Carefully the man dropped the weapon to the ground. "Look lady I need that doll. Little girl is missing from my group and that there is her doll. Where did ya find it?" Caite considered him for a minute before looking at the girls.

"Lace grab Sammy and stand by the tent," Caite started to say before Lace attempted to interrupt her. "I said now Lacey!" The younger girl gave her a hateful look and dragged the four-year-old with her. She waited until they were out of arms reach before considering the man before her. "The only reason I'm helping you is because you say there's a kid missing. One wrong move and I won't hesitate to shoot you understand? Me and mine come first." Slowly Caite backed away from the man and gave him the okay to turn around.

Daryl was shocked to find a young twenty-something glaring at him and not an older woman. The authority in the female's voice did not match her physical features. The brunette stood at about five foot six and had a heart shaped face with chubby cheeks and large green eyes. "I'm lookin' for a little blonde girl 'bout eight years old. She's been missing almost four days now; that doll is hers" he said pointing at the cloth doll in Sammy's hands.

She sighed and considered the toy her youngest sister had grown attached to in a 24-hour period. This would be delightful. Caite knew she needed to be careful, this strange man already knew where they were camped. For all she knew this could all be a fancy rouse to lead her away from camp so that others could raid for supplies…or worse things. "How do I know you are speaking the truth; that you don't intend any harm or ill will towards us? The world isn't what it used to be Mister people aren't right in the head anymore. Like I said I have to protect me and mine. What proof do you have other than your word?"

Daryl did not have time for this shit. Sophia was missing, Officer Friendly's kid was shot, and he needed a fucking cigarette. "Look girl, I don't have time for this! I need your help. Either direct me to the area or show me the way. Doesn't matter to me I just gotta find Sophia. If you don't trust me come back to camp and meet the kid's mama." While it took every ounce of self control to not lose her shit at being called _girl_ Caite felt that his body language and the urgency in his voice leant its way towards being the truth. There might be safety in this unknown group. And maybe even some extra food…and soap.

"Okay, I'll show you. But I want to meet the mother and the other members of your camp. If my sisters get harmed there's a bullet with your name on it—" she paused waiting for the gruff man to offer his name.

"Daryl" he all but spat at her feet.

"Alright, Daryl, my name is Caite." She said smirking at his abrupt manner, he reminded her of a cornered dog. He didn't seem like he was much for talking or friendly interaction. "I show you the area and then you take us to your group. Deal?" She thrusted her hand out before her and waited for him to take it.

Daryl rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine." And with that a deal was struck.


	2. Observations and Robin Hood?

**A huge thank you to all of my readers, followers, and favoriters! I'm so excited to see so many people have already read chapter one. This will be a slow going story, I'm in my senior year of college and I get buried under homework. I hope you all stick with me! I'm determined to finish this labor of love**

 **-C.M. Weaver**

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After striking a deal with tall, dark, and grumpy I had an internal debate about whether or not to bring my sisters along on the thirty-minute walk to the site where we had happened upon that godforsaken doll. If I left them here, then they were unprotected from the dead and living alike and once the spot had been viewed we would have to circle back around and gather them from our measly camp. But, then again, taking them with me did not guarantee immediate safety. This man could just as easily shoot me dead than help me and what of his group? For all I know this could lead to certain danger.

But I'd already had so many close calls…I couldn't keep them safe on my own forever.

What-if's were not going to get us anywhere but killed. I needed to keep a clear head if I'm going to do this. There was no learning from mistakes in this world of clawing shadows and cruel strangers.

"Let us gather our things and then I'll show you the way," I pretended not to notice the weight of the bag strapped to my back, "Lace pack up your and Sam's bags while I grab everything else." With that I set about throwing my three changes of clothes into my bag of Spaghettio's and taking apart our tent once Lacey was done packing their stuff up.

"Okay guys, we're going to take Daryl to the place we found the doll. In exchange he has agreed to take us to his camp." I could tell by the way her eyes bugged out of her head that Lace had quite a few problems with this scenario. My pleading look kept her quiet thankfully. I was a little shocked, my sister was never one to shy away from giving you her opinions. Lacey had always been the more outspoken of the three of us. Well if you didn't count the logic and tantrums of a rambunctious three-year-old.

"Alright, Daryl, this way." And with that I started out on the trail that would lead towards the river.

I took the lead, obviously, and Daryl was about a step or two behind me and to my right. The girls brought up the rear of our weird little travel party. We could have been a happy little family if you didn't care about awkward silences and thick tension sugarcoated with " _Old_ _MacDonald_ _Had_ _a_ _Farm_ ".

"And on his farm he had a unicorn!" Sam sang enthusiastically. I shook my head and smirked at her antics. I listened as Lacey kept her occupied by supplying a wide array of animals and peeked at the man walking beside me. His hair was in need of a cut and his clothes were spattered with patches of dirt, probably from searching for his Sophia, but all in all he was fairly clean. His group must have a large supply of water if it could be spared on such a luxury as a bath. His mouth seemed to be in a permanent scowl and his jaw was clenched, his eyebrows knitted together in what I could only assume was deep thought and his eyes hadn't stopped darting around scanning the woods surrounding them.

He could probably be quite handsome if it weren't for the constipated look on his face.

"So how many people are in your group?" If I was going to continue with this insane agreement I might as well be prepared. He eyed me for a few moments but didn't say anything at first. "Look, I'm trying to help you out here. I hate the idea of a kid out here alone, but I'm not going to take you anywhere if I can't trust you. I promised to take care of my sisters. I can't just blindly walk into a camp of strangers!" I clenched my fists and glared at him, waiting for a response.

He glared right back at me. "There's a farm. My group has eight not counting me or Sophia. There was an accident and a kid got shot. A family took us in while he recovers and is allowing us to live on the property." I was shocked to have gotten that much out of him. Nothing about him screamed talkative. But I was grateful. If he was willing to let me know one of his group members was injured, then I could trust him slightly. Admitting there was weakness within the group was a big deal.

Before I could say anything in reply our stilted conversation was interrupted. During our stare down Sammy had come up to us without being noticed and promptly grabbed hold of Daryl's left hand. I swear if the walking dead didn't get to me first this little girl was going to be the death of me!

It looked as if his eyes were about to pop out of his head. Maybe he'd have an aneurysm and I could wash my hands of this whole situation. The girl was probably already back at camp safe and sound with her mom.

I started to try and say something either to my youngest sister or to the stranger she was clinging to but it was as if my brain was short circuiting. As if Sam didn't already have the brooding man's attention she gave his hand a slight tug. Daryl raised an eyebrow in question and waited for the girl to speak.

"Are you Robin Hood?" my eye twitched and I heard Lacey snort in the background. Where did she even come up with this stuff, I threw a disapproving glance towards Lace and went to kneel down to eye level with the precocious three-year-old.

"Peanut, it's not okay to grab strangers' hands." Before I could finish Daryl cut in.

"I ain't Robin Hood," he protested but when Sam started to frown he continued, "he's my uncle." At this revelation Sammy grinned and started pestering him with questions for the duration of our walk to the riverbed.

Once I had located the general area of where Lace had found the doll we stopped. "It was right around this area here. My sister found it pushed up against a rock. I think your Sophia might have dropped it in the water and it got pushed up into the mud." With that I quit talking and allowed him to survey the area for himself. He must be some sort of tracker if his group trusted him to look for the missing girl on his own. Maybe he had hunted, if so that meant the possibility of real meat. Spaghettio's and baked beans paled in comparison to the idea of real protein.

I had all the book smarts I could ever need. I had countless learning ideologies and strategies memorized, I had grammar rules and works of literature that I knew by heart; but none of that was of any use to us now. Frost, Wordsworth, and Keats wouldn't ensure that my sisters didn't go to bed hungry at night. Knowing the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" didn't promise that I would be able to fight and protect them from the dangers, both living and dead, that this new world had sprung upon us. I needed to stay smart. I had limitations. If I surrounded myself with the people who knew how to do for themselves, I could learn. In order to learn I needed this man and his group on my side. Mama always told me I wasn't street smart, but I was observant. I would do whatever necessary to protect my sisters.

The first thing to do was to build trust between me and this man. And I could think of no better way than by offering him some of the food in our pack. Food was a precious resource. By allowing this stranger to know I had a decent supply of it and that I was willing to share would be a big deal. One I had a feeling he wouldn't take lightly.

I waited for him to stop going through the forest vegetation with a fine tooth comb before interrupting his concentration. "Daryl, before we head to your camp would you like some food? We haven't eaten yet this morning and I've scrounged up some cans of Spaghettio's and a packet of beef jerky." He looked as though he were sizing me up so I let the big guns come out. "It wouldn't do that little girl any good if her rescue party died of starvation, now would it? We can even leave some food here for her just in case she is close by."

Daryl worked his jaw for a minute but it seemed as though he had come to a decision. "Alright, but just long enough to eat. After that we move on, I don't want to waste daylight."

"Of course." I immediately replied. I could part with two cans of food if it meant a safer situation for my sisters. Besides, I would hope if the situation were reversed there would be someone kind enough to do the same for my sisters.


	3. Gunshots and Reunions

A huge thank you to my readers who have waited patiently for me to upload another chapter. Summer classes have been crazy! And Fall semester starts on the 22nd. Stick with me guys, I might be slow to update but I'm not giving up on this story. As always, please please review!

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True to his word, we didn't stay stationary for long. Daryl waited just long enough for me to wash Sam's face off in the nearby stream and then we were back to walking through the dense woods. In true Georgia fashion it was proving to be an ungodly humid day. It wasn't long before we were all drenched in sweat and miserable… well at least we girls were. The heat didn't seem to faze Daryl, he just kept moving. The air was so thick with humidity that after a while it hurt to breathe. It felt like we had been walking for quite some time so maybe he would be agreeable to a small break.

"Uh, Daryl?" I said to his back. He didn't stop or say anything but I figured this wasn't out of the ordinary for the male. So I decided to continue. "We need to stop and take a breather."

"No." he said it so abruptly I wondered if he even thought about it before responding.

Okay…breathe in, breathe out. Don't lose your temper you have to make it to his camp. "We've been walking for quite some time. The girls and I just need a few minutes to catch our breaths. It's a million degrees."

"If you haven't noticed, girl, this ain't some pleasure cruise. There's geeks everywhere! You want to chance your sisters' safety then by all means take a break." Disdain dripped from his words and I felt the burn of embarrassment across my cheeks.

Lace started to say something but I shut her up with a glare. I took a deep breath and grabbed Sam and carried her piggy back style. "Let's go." I growled out and pushed forward grinding my teeth. Stupid redneck! What does he know? I've been taking care of them for months, how dare he. I think I've been doing a pretty great job considering there's walking corpses and I have no fucking clue how to replace mom.

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We continued in silence for the duration of the trek. All that could be heard were our footsteps and the chirp of cicadas. Eventually the thick brush gave way to a worn path and beyond that a large field sectioned off by a rough wooden fence. I had never been one for the outdoors or the rustic style of country life but I had never been more grateful in my life to see that fence. It might not be the Great Wall but it at least offered a small barrier to the harsh realities of this new world. I was so distracted by this show of normalcy that the thought of being in danger never crossed my mind…that is until the crack of a gunshot interrupted my musings and a certain gruff redneck hit the ground hard.

"What the fuck!" Lacey screamed and with that another shot rang off. I barreled into her and the three of us went down to the ground. We looked each other in the eyes and then over to the bleeding man cussing up a storm.

"Stay right here and don't move, you got me?" I stared at her until she nodded and covered our little sister's body with her own. With that I started to drag myself across the dry earth towards Daryl. He'd been shot in the bicep. A river of blood flowed down his arm. "Your group always welcome you back like this?" I all but screeched at him once I was within a foot of him. "I wanted my sisters to be safe! What the hell is this, were you planning this all along?" I was getting hysterical by the time I heard the third gunshot.

"Oh, sure I just love getting holes shot through me! I don't know what the fucks going on, girl." He grimaced as he clutched at his arm. Soon it became quiet and all I could hear was the thudding of my heart.

Distant yelling.

Thudding of feet.

"Grandpa Dale!"


	4. All This Time

**My apologies for this long overdue update! Hopefully, my wonderful readers have not lost interest. Student teaching has been an amazing experience, but it is also kicking my butt! I know this is a pretty short chapter, but I needed to do a quick update. The next chapter should be quite a bit longer. :)**

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My heart was beating so hard I was sure it was bruising my chest. Oxygen rushed in and out of my lungs but I felt like I was drowning. Twenty feet away from where I laid plastered to the ground stood my grandfather. It had been about a year since we'd seen him. Once he and grandma had retired they had bought an RV and started traveling. My hands clutched at the grass underneath me, trying to keep myself from losing it. The girls started running for him before I could figure out how to make a sound. My hands trembled and my knuckles were white, I was stuck until a slightly bloody hand grabbed my own.

I looked up from my hand into blue eyes. He didn't say anything just stared at me, his mouth clenched in pain. I swallowed thickly and jumped to my feet. By this time my grandpa and the three other men were right in front of us. "What the hell, Officer Friendly?" barked the angry redneck as a young Korean boy proffered a hand to help him to his feet. Daryl just slapped the younger man's hand away and started towards a white house beyond the field.

"We thought you were walkers!" the boy rushed to explain. Daryl turned, gave each man a hard look, and then proceeded to stalk off.

That left me in a field with three strange men, my grandfather, and two sisters. There were two white men. They seemed to hold some sort of authority within this camp. One looked at me speculatively and the other was harder to read. "And who are you three?" the cranky looking man said.

"Gentlemen, these young ladies are my granddaughters." Dale said, his voice was thick with emotion. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug. All this time. I can't breathe. All this _time?_ We had been in that damn forest for weeks. Barely surviving for weeks. Fighting the living dead for weeks. Pretending to be a mother, a protector, a source of stability and sanity for my sisters when every fiber of my being was screaming inside. And **ALL THIS TIME** my grandfather had been a matter of miles away from us. A real adult who knew how to take care of kids. A real adult who could have taken care of me, told me that everything would be okay, that could have told me what to say to two young girls that saw their mother die horrifically.

"Well, that certainly changes things," the man dubbed "Officer Friendly" shook me out of my momentary freak out. "Why don't we take this conversation into the safety of the farm proper. Those gun shots are likely to attract unwanted attention." Sam and Lace each grabbed one of Grandpa Dale's hands and the group started off towards the house. I stood staring at their retreating forms. How surreal this little spark of familiarity. This new world that my sisters and I were thrust into could have—no—would have been so different if I had just known how close my grandfather had been.

"Caitlin Marie, you coming," the familiar voice of Grandpa Dale was a momentary balm to the hurts that have clawed their way into my skin and my mind. Taking a deep breath and rubbing my hands on my jeans I centered myself. Who knows what is to come of this but one thing I was sure of was this: even with the safety that Grandpa brings, I will not let my guard down. Doing so always ends in tragedy.


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